This invention relates generally to medical apparatus for monitoring the discharge of body liquids, e.g., urine.
Many devices are disclosed in the prior art for performing urine measurement. For example only, attention is directed to U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,316, and to the various references cited therein, which discloses an automatic measuring device operating on the fill and dump principle.
A preferred medical apparatus which electronically measures and displays the discharge of body liquids, such as urine, is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 317,611 filed Nov. 3, 1981 by John H. Parrish and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.
The importance of monitoring discharged body liquids has long been known to the medical profession. For example, low urine output often gives early warning of inadequate blood flow and possible impending heart and primary renal failure. Traditionally, urine volume output of hospitalized patients has been monitored by a nurse periodically visually examining the contents of a calibrated disposable bag coupled to the patient by a catheter and flexible tubing.
More recently, automatic measuring devices, as exemplified by aforecited U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,316, have been disclosed which operate on a fill and dump principle, i.e., a small calibrated volume is repeatedly filled and dumped into a larger receptacle. A significantly different principle is employed in the aforementioned patent application Ser. Np. 317,611 which includes a disposable coontainer and an electronic measurement unit for measuring the liquid in the container and the passage of real time and for displaying the quantity of liquid accumulated in the container within a defined real time interval.